Malawi Journalist's Arrest Sparks Calls for Reform of Censor Laws

Malawian authorities should cease harassing journalist Gregory Gondwe, drop any attempt to force him to disclose his sources, and reform the country's laws so they are not used to censor the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists has said.

The Minister of Information and Digitalization Gospel Kazako, who is also the government's spokesperson, assured the media that the government will investigate the circumstances that led to Gondwe's arrest on April 5, 2022 at the Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ) offices in Blantyre. Gondwe's computers and phones were confiscated, in what the police described, was a "normal crime-busting exercise."

The outgoing national police publicist James Kadadzera said that Gondwe was arrested for a story published in relation to the huge sums of money the Anti-Corruption Bureau allegedly paid to businessman Zuneth Sattar against the advice of Attorney-General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda. The police officers reportedly forced Gondwe to disclose the source of the document, referred to in the story.

Gondwe was released soon after his arrest and his equipment returned to him. The Malawi Human Rights Commission has reportedly indicated that it will investigate Gondwe's arrest.